Needless
Noises
IT has become a kind of
a ritual in the Nepalese politics that no sooner is a new government installed than it
begins to receive flak. Even just a few months into its life, a government becomes
recipient of bigger and bigger verbal attacks. Opposition for the sake of opposition, not
constructive criticisms, seem to be the motto among politicians who are outside the seat
of government. Despite being well aware that any government of the day does not have a
magic wand, detractors of that particular government leave no stone unturned to flay it at
the slightest chance. In this respect the government led by Prime Minister Sher Bahadur
Deuba has not been spared censure and disparagement. Does it deserve it? It is
crystal-clear to those who choose to see that after coming to power the Deuba
administration swiftly moved to contain the Maoist problem and undertook a series of
measures with an aim at social reforms. Maoists broke off the peace talks and the
government had no option but to declare a state of emergency and press into service all
the security personnel in maintaining law and order. The security situation has improved
since late November when emergency was imposed, though it will be some time before
Nepalese can feel completely safe from the Maoist terror. Another enemy of the Nepalese is
corruption to contain which the government has expressed its commitment.
Under the
circumstances, the government has tried to do its level best in seeing that the normal
course of development works takes place. It is hard to imagine how differently any other
government would have performed, given the kind of situation Nepal is in now. Therefore,
former prime minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai was entirely right when he said Wednesday
at a function that this was not the time to raise accusing fingers against the government.
Critics, he said, must wait at least for a year. His defence of the government and his
unhappiness at the undue criticisms must be seen in the light of the logic that any
government had to be given some time to deliver before letting forth arrows of censure.
And there is this mechanism anyway under the Nepali Congress party whereby the
party’s Central Working Committee would evaluate the performance of the government
once the government completes a year in office. It would at that time give guidelines and
suggestions as it deems fit for the government to consider. In other words, the present
time is that of assisting the government in performing the tasks it has embarked on. The
support should come from everybody—the ruling party’s leaders and cadres,
opposition politicians and the general public. Politicking and needless noises of
antipathy against the government could conceivably wait—at least until the country
has gotten out of the emergency times.
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